One-Legged Elvis

English Elvis, Andy Gibson, 51, lost his leg in a freak accident in 1998. But it hasn't slowed him down.

“It was my love of music that really got me through everything. I have been an Elvis fan for many years and I started the singing three-and-a-half years ago. It has been a great comfort to me.”

“I use a false leg now and it is covered in pictures of Elvis. I do gigs all around and I absolutely love it.”

from the Norwich Evening News
http://www.eveningnews24.co.uk/content/news/story.aspx?
brand=ENOnline&category
=News&tBrand=ENOnline&tCategory=news&itemid=
NOED27%20Sep%202005%2011%3A50%3A40%3A940

Elvis - a strange one and a true one

When Las Vegas Elvis impersonator James Rompel was invited to perform at the World of WearableArt shows in Wellington, he couldn't throw his blue suede shoes into his suitcase fast enough.

As a special guest of WOW, a leather-clad Rompel appears on stage during the bizarre bra section of the show. His debut performance on Friday night sent a few obvious Elvis fans into a frenzy. He will perform at each show till the final night on Sunday.

"I'm platinum blond by nature. My grandmother used to colour my hair and eyebrows in dark on photographs of me. She used to chide me and say in a New York accent, `You look like Presley, you're wasting time'. I'd just say, `You're high, grandma'."

But nana knew best and today Rompel makes a living from his impersonations of Elvis – something that involves a hefty amount of hair dye and numerous figure-hugging outfits.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3423818a11215,00.html

Pink Elvis
A strange little movie of animated Elvi floating and gyrating in a pink void.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3423818a11215,00.html

Elvis Wins INXS Contest

By now everyone who has been following the shows knows that JD Fortune has been picked as the new lead vocalist for the INXS comeback tour. A Canadian, tickets sales up north are going crazy. But did you know where JD got the confidence to win?

Back in the mid-1990s, Fortune -- whose real name is Jason Dean Bennison -- performed as an Elvis impersonator.

That's right -- or should we say, that's all right mama.

Fortune has a bit of an Elvis look to him -- the young Elvis, at least -- although the two are not splitting images of each other. Regardless, the one thing every Elvis impersonator needs is confidence, and J.D. showed throughout the INXS competition that it takes a lot to get him all shook up.

http://jam.canoe.ca/Television/TV_Shows/R/Rock_Star
/2005/09/21/1228201.html

Elvis Explosion and more

First up is a story on Mark Viner, a retired Elvi who now acts as one of the judges for the Elvis Explosion in La Crosse, WI. I really need to go to this thing once. It's only a couple of hours away.

Judging is based on the performer's voice, look, creativity, performance and crowd perception, among other qualities, said Viner. One important role performers are judged on is their ability to fire up the crowd and keep them going. And with all the good Elvis tribute artists coming to the Explosion, competition will be tight, said Viner. Sometimes the spread in points between the top and bottom artist is as little as five points. That's a lot of good Elvises.

http://www.holmencourier.com/articles/
2005/09/09/features/01elvis.txt

What's next for Mario Kombou, the winner of this year's Images of the King contest in Memphis?

"I always thought that I could win it. I'm trying not to do much more of it. I want to put it to rest."

http://www.thisislocallondon.co.uk/news/topstories/
display.var.629580.0.king_of_rocknroleplay.php

More tomorrow as I strive to catch up. Have patience, friends.

Back from Space Camp!

Greetings, everyone. I have returned from possibly one of the best weeks of my life. Last week I was at Space Camp in Huntsville, AL. Amazing, absolutely wonderful. I'm still smiling about it. Please have patience just a little longer I as sort through my emails, my photos, my memories, and all the problems of reality waiting for me. I promise to get back at posting more Elvi in the next few days. And possibly a report of my experiences at Space Camp ( if anyone is interested).

It's Finally Here!

I apologize for the lack of postings but I have been getting things in order for my excursion, my vacation, my birthday present. You see tomorrow I go to Space Camp. I turned 50 in March and this is how I wanted to celebrate, by throwing up on the centrifuge. Space Camp is usually open to school age children most of the year. For a few weeks they open it to adults. I would have done in March but this is the first week they had available. So after 6 months of waiting, tomorrow I board the plane and head off to pretend I'm an astronaut for a week. I only hope that I'm not the youngest person there.

When I get back the postings will begin again, along with new Elvi signatures in biboland.com, and maybe even some MP3s. I'll see what I can do. Take care.

To Infinity and Beyond!

www.spacecamp.com

Here's a bunch of Elvi postings!

Okay, I've been very bad about posting items here lately. But I have a good excuse. I am working to become a published novelist. A week ago I met Orson Scott Card (very big name in the Sci Fi community) at a book signing here in Madison, WI. We talked briefly and, short story even shorter, he asked that I send him a portion of the children's novel I am looking to publish. He has a magazine he is starting very soon and was interested in reading my work. To say I was excited is an understatement. If he enjoys it... let's just say that it would be a very good thing. So naturally all my spare time went into this. Today he has it, and "is looking forward to reading it quickly." So while I hold my breath, here are some Elvi stories to catch you up.

A short interview with Scot Bruce, currently starring in San Jose Stage's production of ``Idols of the King.'
http://www.kentucky.com/mld/mercurynews/living/
12099480.htm?source=rss&channel=mercurynews_living
Here's another article on Scot Bruce, but with an excellent picture.
http://www.metroactive.com/papers/metro/07.13.05/
king-0528.html


Elvis lives, on fringes of Philippine politics
A network news anchor was left fumbling for words Tuesday following a live interview with the president's executive secretary about a Cabinet appointment that included cutaway shots showing the interview's location at a government broadcast studio _ with Elvis in the background.
http://asia.news.yahoo.com/050712/ap/d8b9lq900.html

An excellent short piece on Morgan Thorson's dance-theater work Faker appearing at The Southern Theater in Minneapolis/St. Paul, MN. "Her seven-member cast worked with clips of Elvis impersonators to develop movement material and to explore the psychological tension underlying Elvis's hyperbolic movement vocabulary. In one section Sherman, playing an Elvis impersonator who, says Thorson, "dies of heartbreak, not knowing who he/she is."
http://www.citypages.com/databank/26/1284/article13503.asp

A sad article about the passing of W. Pauline Nicholson, Elvis Presley's personal cook at Graceland, who died July 7 of cancer. She was 76.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/
2005-07-13-presley-cook_x.htm?POE=LIFISVA

Here's a nice article about Elvis Wade, who claims to be the world's first professional Elvis impersonator.
http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/
article?AID=/20050715/SCENE04/507150342/1011/SCENE

And finally a nice article about Michigan native James Warner, who is taking place in teh casting call for the Elvis TV pilot, through the eyes of the woman who is his manager.
http://www.cadillacnews.com/articles/2005/07/15/
news/news06.txt